The 50 most valuable Trojans of 2012: No. 1

And now, at long last, revealing the most valuable USC football player of 2012:

NO. 1 -- QB MATT BARKLEY

Vitals: 6-2, 230, senior

Comment: It just couldn't be anybody else. Barkley is the main reason USC is among the favorites to win the national championship. He's the main reason there's so much hope and optimism around a program that was shrouded in gloom just two years ago. He's among the main reasons the Trojans' offense will be unstoppable, or close to it, this season. Quarterback is the most important position in the increasingly pass-oriented sport of football, and Barkley has (almost) everything you'd want in a modern-day QB: He's smart, he's accurate and he's a natural leader who's about to become a rare three-time team captain. (So what's with the "almost"? Barkley doesn't have ideal height, and he doesn't have great mobility. But hey, nobody's perfect.) If Barkley had entered the 2012 NFL draft, the Trojans still would have been a top-25 team. But they also would have been breaking in a redshirt-freshman quarterback. Cody Kessler and Max Wittek have the skills to excel at this level, and the supporting cast is terrific. But it's awfully hard to jump right in and be proficient as a first-year QB. (Just ask Barkley.) Once Barkley announced he was coming back, USC instantly became a top-three team. He's also the front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy. How could the nation's best player not be USC's most valuable?

(About the rankings: The criteria used to derive the rankings included players' past and projected production; their general importance to the team; how indispensable they are according to the depth chart; their position versatility; their ability to play special teams; and their leadership skills and other intangible traits.)

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